Prosecutors claim Jacobo and his younger brother, Angel, confronted Kristopher Olinger on the Pacific Grove recreation trail in 1996 where Olinger was taking pictures for a high school project.

Prosecutors allege the brothers robbed Olinger, stabbed him repeatedly and then stole his car.

The case went unsolved for nearly 10 years until investigators connected DNA evidence found at the scene to the Ruelas brothers. After a couple of years of courtroom wrangling, the younger brother, Angel, pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The older brother, Jacobo, who was arrested seven years ago, pleaded not guilty.

Since his arrest, Ruelas has gone through several attorneys, even choosing to represent himself at one point. Both of those developments led to major delays in the case.

On Monday, a judge ruled that Ruelas does not have to be shackled and handcuffed during his trial, which is expected to last weeks.

If convicted, Jacobo Ruelas faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

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